School visits
I love visiting schools to work with pupils of all ages. As an experienced teacher I am able to fit in with the school's curricular priorities at the same time as being highly entertaining.
I can offer general writing workshops or something a bit more highly focused such as 'story beginnings' or 'building characters'. I am happy to work with classes, year groups and school assemblies. I also offer engaging and thought-provoking storytelling sessions.
The Time Wreccas and The Time Apprentice are most suited to National Curriculum levels 3 to 5 (but are also enjoyed by adults.) I have worked with groups aged 5 to 18 and obviously adapt my material and approach accordingly. The groups that benefit most are those in Key Stages 2, 3 and 5. Workshops for KSs 2 and 3 tend to use my books as a focal point for extending writing skills, while those for Sixth Forms concentrate on writing as a career. I am always happy to discuss different approaches and areas of focus to suit the school.
The most successful visits are those for which pupils have been well prepared. Some schools study the first chapter of one of my books (available free at The Time Wreccas Chapter 1 and The Time Apprentice Chapter 1) and do a variety of activities related to it. This often leads to excellent questions from the children as well as making the visit by the author relevant and exciting.
Schools in Wales can get assistance with funding for visiting writers: check their website www.academi.org
Most schools ask me to sell and sign books while I am there. It certainly seems to go down well with the children.
If you would like me to visit your school, please contact me through the contact page here on the site and I will get back to you as soon as I can.